Three Culinary Arts Technology students from EMCC's Lion Hills Center earned first place in the statewide 2016-17 Collegiate DECA Mississippi competition in Natchez earlier this month. Larry Brownlee of Columbus, Robert Colbert of West Point and Josh Fountain of Utica will represent Mississippi in the international competition in Anaheim, Calif.

Six East Mississippi Community College students in the culinary and marketing programs took top honors in the state in the 2016 Collegiate DECA Mississippi competition in Southaven and will represent Mississippi in an international competition in Washington, D.C., in April.

Fresh off of cooking at Augusta National Golf Club during the Masters, Chef Carlos Montemayor visited Columbus on Wednesday to help out an old friend, EMCC culinary instructor and Lion Hills chef Matt Molina. The timing couldn’t have been better -- Lion Hills served 300 lunch guests during the LINK’s Education Excellence Luncheon and civic club meetings.

Community college students, faculty and staff from all over Mississippi gathered at First Baptist Church in Jackson Feb. 27 to host the annual Legislative Appreciation Luncheon. Elected officials stopped by to share a lunch of catfish gumbo and all the trimmings prepared by culinary arts students.

EMCC Hotel & Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts students have earned certifications from the American Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Institute and the National Restaurant Association. These programs are offered at EMCC's Lion Hills location.